The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War
By News
Published 4 years ago on
December 10, 2019
Share
[aggregation-styles]
The Washington Post Subscription
The Washington Post Subscription
A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.
The documents were generated by a federal project examining the root failures of the longest armed conflict in U.S. history. They include more than 2,000 pages of previously unpublished notes of interviews with people who played a direct role in the war, from generals and diplomats to aid workers and Afghan officials.
The U.S. government tried to shield the identities of the vast majority of those interviewed for the project and conceal nearly all of their remarks. The Post won release of the documents under the Freedom of Information Act after a three-year legal battle.
In the interviews, more than 400 insiders offered unrestrained criticism of what went wrong in Afghanistan and how the United States became mired in nearly two decades of warfare.
The documents were generated by a federal project examining the root failures of the longest armed conflict in U.S. history. They include more than 2,000 pages of previously unpublished notes of interviews with people who played a direct role in the war, from generals and diplomats to aid workers and Afghan officials.
The U.S. government tried to shield the identities of the vast majority of those interviewed for the project and conceal nearly all of their remarks. The Post won release of the documents under the Freedom of Information Act after a three-year legal battle.
In the interviews, more than 400 insiders offered unrestrained criticism of what went wrong in Afghanistan and how the United States became mired in nearly two decades of warfare.
By Craig Whitlock | 9 Dec 2019
RELATED TOPICS:
Google, Justice Department Make Final Arguments About Whether Search Engine is a Monopoly
Business /
3 hours ago
Anchovy Feast Draws the Most Sea Lions to SF’s Fisherman’s Wharf in 15 Years
Animals /
3 hours ago
Captain Sentenced to 4 Years for Criminal Negligence in Fiery Deaths of 34 Aboard Scuba Boat
Crime /
3 hours ago
Mountain West Boss Reveals There’s Talk of Football Playoffs for Teams Like Fresno State
Sports /
3 hours ago
Liar, Liar: Potential Trump VP Pick Noem’s Claims Are on Fire
Politics /
3 hours ago
What Did State Supreme Court Decide on Defamation Suit Against Assemblymember Soria?
Politics /
4 hours ago
Latest
Videos
Weather /
2 hours ago
Heavy Rains Over Texas Have Led to Water Rescues, School Cancellations and Orders to Evacuate
Business /
3 hours ago
Google, Justice Department Make Final Arguments About Whether Search Engine is a Monopoly
Animals /
3 hours ago
Anchovy Feast Draws the Most Sea Lions to SF’s Fisherman’s Wharf in 15 Years
Crime /
3 hours ago